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annaladdmac's review
5.0
One of the best books I’ve ever read! I want to read everything this man has written. Any similar books with similar writing styles- please send my way!! I don’t even like non fiction and this is now my favorite. Absolutely adore it.
baddogjordan's review
5.0
VERY enjoyable. Clearly heavily researched but presented so lucidly and simply that it was just a pleasure to read. Loved learning more about storms and tornados!
jurassicreader's review against another edition
3.0
Really well-written and much of it was interesting, but there were some parts of the book that didn't hold my attention. Still, the book was pretty good and I would recommend it to those interested in tornadoes. The stories about the fire tornado were the most interesting to me.
karmakat's review against another edition
3.0
While focusing on tornadoes, this book is basically a history of the development of meteorology and the modern Weather Bureau. Some very interesting information, and some really dry history. Some chapters you tear through, much like a tornado. Others are like the slow, heavy air before a storm. But I did learn about pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which are wild.
uberbutter's review against another edition
4.0
Storm Kings: The Untold History of America’s First Tornado Chaser by Lee Sandlin
★★★★
I can’t help it. I have always been fascinated with natural disasters and the history surrounding them. It sounds morbid perhaps but I always find myself pulled to the hows and the whys of it all. This book did not disappoint on feeding my curiosity on tornadoes and the history of those who have “chased” them to give us the information we know today. I thought the whole book was interesting, some more so than others. Sometimes I felt that while back information was needed that the author went a tad bit more off topic than necessary sometimes but it always came back around to where it needed to so I commend him for that (I’ve read so many history books where the author gets of topic and never seems to actually get back into it, leaving one hanging.) Lee Sandin did quite a bit of research and delved into many books and first-hand accounts to get the details and it was quite educational from beginning to end. Only the epilog delves into the chasers that we know today (those crazy people who drive around in search of destructive tornadoes, putting themselves into grave danger in the name of science) but there is so much history and people that made the knowledge of tornadoes known and no doubt there is much more to learn on the natural phenomenon. A fairly short (260ish pages) and fun read if one enjoys history and science.
★★★★
I can’t help it. I have always been fascinated with natural disasters and the history surrounding them. It sounds morbid perhaps but I always find myself pulled to the hows and the whys of it all. This book did not disappoint on feeding my curiosity on tornadoes and the history of those who have “chased” them to give us the information we know today. I thought the whole book was interesting, some more so than others. Sometimes I felt that while back information was needed that the author went a tad bit more off topic than necessary sometimes but it always came back around to where it needed to so I commend him for that (I’ve read so many history books where the author gets of topic and never seems to actually get back into it, leaving one hanging.) Lee Sandin did quite a bit of research and delved into many books and first-hand accounts to get the details and it was quite educational from beginning to end. Only the epilog delves into the chasers that we know today (those crazy people who drive around in search of destructive tornadoes, putting themselves into grave danger in the name of science) but there is so much history and people that made the knowledge of tornadoes known and no doubt there is much more to learn on the natural phenomenon. A fairly short (260ish pages) and fun read if one enjoys history and science.
cspiwak's review
4.0
Really enjoyed this. Title is a bot misleading, as only the last chapter deals with actual storm chasers, but the narrative read like fiction , holding my interest while sneakily educating me. My kind of book.
myxomycetes's review
4.0
Two-fisted tales of meteorology!
Snark aside this is a fascinating read about the often contentious history of American meteorology and storm-chasing from the Colonial era (Ben Franklin and his kite) to the modern day.
Snark aside this is a fascinating read about the often contentious history of American meteorology and storm-chasing from the Colonial era (Ben Franklin and his kite) to the modern day.
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